The 21 Best British TV Shows Streaming Right Now

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Many of us are aware of American television's popularity abroad, but admiration is shared across both sides of the Atlantic. Those more familiar with stateside remakes of U.K. originals — or what our parents tell us about Britbox's library — may be surprised at the range and quality of British TV shows.

While most people have heard of hits like Black Mirror and Downton Abbey , allow us to introduce you to other excellent television imports, from newer favorites like Ghosts to lesser-known series like Misfits .

Charlie Brooker 's magnificent anthology series is one of the only examples of the form that rivals The Twilight Zone for mind-boggling twists and reality-shattering thrills. You could make a case for nearly every episode of Black Mirror being the series' best, but its structure allows you to hop in wherever you'd like. (The show is oddly rewarding for those who tackle it in non-consecutive order.)

The pilot is always a good place to start, succinctly establishing the show's subversive tone and worldview, but the much-discussed "San Junipero" (season 3, episode 4) is also a worthy (if less-twisted) launching point into Black Mirror 's bleak universe.

Their show is an indelible combination of hard jokes and genuine pathos; one minute you'll be gasping that they just went there, while the next you may get choked up by relatable and authentic developments. It's a tremendous, high-wire emotional balancing act.

Comedian Diane Morgan stars in this miniseries as Philomena Cunk, a hopelessly daft television presenter who travels the world to interview (very real) experts about topics that make human existence so confounding.

One could compare Morgan's schtick to Borat , but that wouldn't be giving her proper credit. Where Sacha Baron Cohen uses his characters to expose flaws in others, Morgan crafts an opposite approach that makes herself the butt of the joke. It's a gentler but no less hysterical spin on the mockumentary format. Our only complaint is that there are too few episodes.